Action-operating mechanism



Feb. 24. 1925 1,521,313

H. J. LA JOIE ET AL ACTION OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 28

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H. J. LA JOIE ET AL ACTION OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct.

UNKTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUBERT J. LA JOIE, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, UBERT URQUHART AND FRANK POKORNY, OF NEW YORK, N. ASSIGNORS TO AUTO PNEUMATIC ACTION COT/I- PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ACTION-OPERATING IJIECHANISM;

Application filed October 28, 1921.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, HUnnRT J. LA Join, Unnnr Un UHAnr, and FRANK POKORNY, all citizens of the United States, said Li Joli: residing at East Orange, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, and said URQU- HART and said POKORNY both residing in New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Action-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved action operating mechanism for use in manually and mechanically operated musical instruments.

The invention has been particularly designed for use in a grand piano which ca be operated both manually and mechanical ly. It is common in such instruments to arrange the pneumatic mechanism in a drawer fitted to slide under the key bed so that the drawer can be pulled out for the insertion of the music sheet and so thatthe drawer can be left in one position for playing.

It is desired in some instances not only to play with the drawer in its innermost position but also with the drawer pulled wholly or partly outwardly so that the operator can follow the music sheet and control the pneumatic mechanism.

To enable this to be done, T have provided a new and improved striking mechanism which is interposed between the pneumatic mechanism and the actions so that the pneumatic mechanism will operate to actuate the actions properly, whether the drawer is in its innermost position or pulled wholly or partly outwardly.

To this end the invention consists in providing a striker for each action, which striker is carried by a horizontal thrust bar, the thrust bar being carried by linkwork permitting the bar to move vertically but constraining the same to remain horizontal while moving vertically. The pneumatic striker for the particular action is arranged to engage under the horizontal thrust bar. Thus the pneumatic striker can engage the horizontal thrust bar at any point along its length and operate the action and the operation will be the same irrespective of the position of the drawer.

Serial No. 511,197.

The invention further consists of details and arrangements hereinafter described.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying two sheets of drawings forming part of this application for patent. In said drawings Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of the action operatin mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan of part of the same on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation on the same enlarged scale of one of the intermediate operating mechanisms; and

Fig. at is end elevation thereof.

In the drawings, I have shown the invention as applied to a grand piano. In detail. A designates the key bed of such an instrument, B designates one of the keys and C one of the piano actions. D designates a drawer which is fitted to slide horizontally under the key bed so that it can be pushed in to the position shown in full lines or drawn out to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The pneumatic mechanism is arranged in this drawer. The same consists in principal parts of a tracker bar 10 over which a perforated music sheet 11 is drawn from a music roll 12 by a take-up roll 13. The tracker bar is connected by tubes 14 to a valve board 15 having the usual valves 16-16. The operating pneumatics are designated by 17 and these may be arranged in banks as shown. Each pneumatic 17 opcrates a vertically sliding abstract 18, which carries a striker plunger 19 at its upper end. These parts before described are arranged in a well understood way.

The key bed is cut away as shown and a striker 0 is positioned to engage the rear end of each key and thus operate the action. Each striker 20 is mounted on the end of a vertical bar 21 carried by a horizontal thrust bar 22 which has another vertical bar 23 at its front end. Two links 24-84 are pivoted together at their inner ends by a mortise and tenon pivot 25. These links intermediate of their ends are pivoted on brackets 26-26 secured to a supporting board 27 which is mounted in the cut away portion of the key bed. The lefthand bracket 26 is preferably made in two sections pivoted together so as to allow for a yielding action between the pivot points of the links 24. The horizontal thrust bar 22 is provided with a felt or cushion 28 against which the inner ends of the links strike when the thrust bar is moved upwardly, which thus serves to limit the operative movement of the intermediate operating mechanism. An adjusting screw 29 is threaded in the rear link in position to engage a piece of felt or cushion 30 secured to the supporting board 27, this screw thus serving as a stop to limit the downward movement of the horizontal thrust bar 22. A hole 31 is bored through the horizontal thrust bar so that the screw 29 can be adjusted by a screw driver.

The motion of the drawer is limited by suitable stops and the pneumatic mechanism contained in the drawer is connected to the source of air tension by a flexible pipe.

It will be seen that the piano can be operated manually in the. usual way, the pneumatic mechanism and'the intermediate operated mechanism is not in any way interfering with such playing. lVhen the pneumatic mechanism is operated the striker plungers 19 will move upwardly in proper sequence. Each striker 19 will engage its horizontal thrust bar and will move the same upward ly. The horizontal thrust bar 22' is constrained to remain in horizontal position while it is moved upwardly by the linkwork described. Thus, the striker plunger 19 can engage the bar at any point along its length. Thus, the pneumatic mechanism can operate with the drawer pushed in or with the-same drawn wholly or partly outwardly.

The intermediate operating mechanism before described is simple to manufacture and can be easily housed in the key bed.

The details and arrangements herein shown and described may be greatly varied by a skilled mechanic without departing from the scope of our invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An intermediate action operating mechanism for use below the keys of a musical instrument, comprising a striker, a horizontal thrust bar operating the striker, and linkwork carrying the bar and permitting the same to move vertically but constraining the same to remain horizontal while moving vertically.

2. An intermediate action operating mechanism for use below the keys of a musical instrument, comprising a striker, a horizontal thrust bar operating the striker, and intermediately pivoted links pivoted together at their inner ends and to the said bar at their outer ends.

3. An intermediate action operating mechanism for use below the keys of a musical instrument, comprising a striker, a horizontal thrust bar operating the striker, and intermediately pivoted links pivoted to gether at their inner ends by a mortise and tenon pivot and pivoted to the bar at their outer ends.

4. An intermediate action operating mechanism for use below the keys of a musical instrument, comprising a striker, a horizontal thrust bar operating the striker, linkwork carrying the bar and permitting the same to move vertically but constraining the same to remain horizontal while moving vertically, and a stopor cushion on the bar against which the inner ends of the links strike to limit the upward movement of the bar. 1

5. An intermediate action operating mechanism for use below the keys of a musical instrument, comprising a striker, a horizontal thrust bar operating the striker, linkwork carrying the bar and permitting the same to move vertically but constraining the same to remain horizontal while moving vertically, and an adjusting screw in one of the links for limiting the downward movement of the bar.

6. The combination of the keys and actions of a musical instrument, of a drawer carrying a pneumatically operating playing mechanism and having upwardly moving striker plungers, an intermediate action operating mechanism arranged below the keys, each unit thereof comprising a striker for engaging a key, a horizontal thrust bar operating the striker, and linkwork carrying the bar and permitting the same to move vertically, but constraining the same to remain horizontal while moving vertically, whereby the striker plungers can engage the said bars at different points horizontally and the pneumatic mechanism can operate the instrument with the drawer pushed in or drawn out.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto afiixed our signatures.

HUBERT J. LA JOIE. UBERT URQUHART. FRANK POKORNY. 

